VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. (WAVY) – Technology is constantly evolving. The latest advancement that seems to be everywhere is ChatGPT.
ChatGPT is new artificial technology that uses information on the internet to generate human-like responses to questions and prompts it’s given. It can do anything from suggest the best bikes to purchase based on the criteria you give it, to writing a poem about a vacation in Shakespearean voice.
10 On Your Side wanted to know how this new technology is impacting job seekers.
Fear or fascination are the two ways Francina Harrison, known as The Career Engineer, believes people look at ChatGPT.
“There are two ways of thinking about it, either you’re going to be fearful of it, and I’m seeing the anxiety, I’m seeing people say “I’m losing my job or I got laid off” and they believe it’s because of this technology,” Harrison said. “Or you’re fascinated by it, right? And I am fascinated by it in the sense that I’ve seen the evolution. However, I mean, there are some things that folks can be aware of, particularly if you are a career seeker or changer, or you own a business, or you’re a hirer.”
Harrison started her career consulting businesses in 2004, so she’s seen how technology has impacted the job-seeking process for decades.
“What happened when the cell phones came out? What happened when social media? When Facebook showed up? Did it replace certain things, maybe, but it also added a lot,” Harrison said.
She believes streamlining the application and hiring process is one of the positives of artificial intelligence.
“If you’re a career seeker or changer, or the recruiter on the other end, technology is great, it’s helping you to streamline,” said Harrison. “We have to still remember the human eyes are important for the error catching, because AI can’t do that yet.”
What makes ChatGPT different is that it could even go as far as writing a resume or cover letter. Harrison says don’t go there.
“I would assume that recruiters, who have been reading resumes all day long for years, can tell,” said Harrison.
However, she does suggest using it as a tool in the process. Harrison said, “If you have writer’s block and you can’t come up with a paragraph…I get you, let it start your juices flowing.”
That’s how John Moxen, who is currently on the job hunt, is using it.
“I’m not an author, I’m an editor,” Moxen said. “I’m way better at making something that already exists better, but I’m not always the most creative person, so ChatGPT offers me the opportunity to take some information and find ways to tool it to the specific need of whatever I’m trying to apply.”
Moxen also says it helped him prepare for an interview, by giving him mock questions.
“It was one of the best interviews I ever had,” he said.
He views it as a resource — one that’s not perfect — and one that doesn’t replace him.
“It’s still important for me to put my own spin on it so that I’m authentically coming through to the hiring manager,” said Moxen.
He also isn’t worried about technology replacing humans in the workforce.
“I don’t feel like there’s sense of competition between humanity and artificial intelligence at this point. If anything, I see this as something that can only help people who are willing to engage with this faithfully,” Moxen said. “If you’re looking to do something positive or good or useful with ChatGPT, it’s going to be that for you.”
That’s what Harrison calls the secret sauce when it comes to getting hired.
“That human touch that we may have lost a little bit with all this lovely tech, is actually going to be the saving grace for many folks,” said Harrison. “Your moxie, your grit, your mojo. It can’t copy that. The fire in the belly, it can’t copy that.”
Harrison also suggests people embrace new technology as it comes in order to be more marketable.
“The best way to get hired is to reduce your competition,” Harrison said. “So learn this stuff, reduce the competition and you have a better seat in that chair.”